The Vietnamese Embassy in India is making every effort to protect citizens, whilst striving to ensure their health, safety, and lives amid a range of unpredictable and dangerous developments relating to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the South Asian nation.

Do Thanh Hai, counselor of the Vietnamese Embassy in India, shared these ongoing efforts taken to protect lives during an interview recently granted to a VOV correspondent based in New Delhi.

At present, new infections, fresh outbreaks, and a rising death toll have put India's health system on the verge of collapse, coupled with the high risk of infection and the emergence of several variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Due to these circumstances, the Vietnamese community residing in India is in need of attention and great help as it strives to fight these ongoing difficulties.

In relation to the current situation of the Vietnamese community in India, Hai said there have been six repatriation flights launched so far, with the number of Vietnamese nationals remaining in India being relatively low, with approximately 100 people scattered across several Indian states.

People currently residing in India face plenty of difficulties in terms of traveling and purchasing necessities because of lockdown and curfew orders. In addition, the risk of disease remains very high, with a lack of medical facilities available for individuals once infected.

“Most infected Indians are treated by themselves at home. They only go to hospitals after their illness get worst. Presently all hospitals have a shortage of medicines, beds, oxygen, ventilators, and intensive care units. As such, it is not eligible to care for the sick.

The next challenge is psychological and emotional pressure. People who live far from their hometowns and in a pandemic environment deal with plenty of challenges in their life with a very stressful mentality,” Hai stated.

Upon discussing relevant solutions aimed at supporting the Vietnamese community based in India, the Vietnamese counselor noted that since the initial outbreak of the pandemic, one of the main priorities of the Embassy and its representative offices has been to protect citizens and repatriate Vietnamese nationals home as part of pandemic containment efforts.

Most notably, the six repatriation flights put on have successfully brought home roughly 1,000 Vietnamese citizens, with only approximately 100 remaining in the South Asian nation. As such, the Vietnamese Embassy is always able to maintain contact with Vietnamese nationals via hotlines as they listen to their opinions and learn about the difficulties they are facing.

“We have also provided direct support. For example, in some difficult cases, such as recently, there was a Vietnamese construction engineers in India infected with the disease and some cases progressed seriously. The Vietnamese Embassy had to work together with relevant agencies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India to taken such patients to hospital for treatment.

During the working process, many embassy officials have also contracted the disease. But we still take the principle of putting the mission first, with a particular focus on both maintaining the health of staff members, and supporting the Vietnamese community. This has been done along with fulfilling tasks assigned by the Party and the State,” Hai added.

Three imported COVID-19 cases documented on April 26 morning

Three Vietnamese nationals returning from Japan were confirmed as Vietnam’s latest COVID-19 patients in the past 12 hours to 6 am on April 26, according to the Ministry of Health.

The national count of COVID-19 cases now stands at 2,846.

According to the Health Ministry’s Medical Examination and Treatment Department, a total of 2,516 COVID-19 patients in the nation have been given the all clear. The death toll remains at 35.

Among those under treatment, 13 have tested negative for the virus once, 15 twice and 20 thrice.

There are 41,626 people having close contact with confirmed cases or entering Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions under quarantine at present, including 527 at hospitals, 26,276 at concentrated facilities, and 14,823 at home.

The ministry said that a total of 209,632 frontline workers nationwide received COVID-19 vaccine shots as of 4pm on April 25.

In a bid to live safely with the pandemic, people should strictly follow the Ministry of Health’s 5K message: khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering) and khai bao y te (health declaration)./.

Nearly 200,000 Vietnamese vaccinated against COVID-19

As many as 198,972 people across Vietnam have been vaccinated against the coronavirus since the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign was launched in March.

Approximately 23,000 people in 22 cities and provinces got the jab on April 24 alone, according to the Ministry of Health.

Most of them were healthcare workers, members of anti-coronavirus community groups, members of the steering committees opn COVID-19 prevention and control, soldiers and policemen.

Vietnam is using the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine it has purchased and received under the COVAX-sponsored mechanism.

Besides the AstraZeneca vaccine, the Ministry of Health has recently licensed the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine of Russia. Relevant agencies of both sides are working on a deal to import the vaccine into Vietnam.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long has said Vietnam needs at least 150 million doses of coronavirus vaccines for domestic use. As the vaccines are in short supply globally, it is accelerating negotiations with manufacturers to get the nod.

Meanwhile, four Vietnamese research institutes and firms are stepping up research and manufacturing of the vaccines.

Two of them have been carrying out human clinical trials, and the first local vaccine is likely to be available for use later this year.

Government issues Decree to protect mineral resources

The Government has issued a decree on the protection of mineral resources at national mineral reserves in accordance with the Mineral Law.

The Decree states that investors are responsible for protecting mineral resources during project implementation and are banned from taking advantage when carrying out projects to exploit minerals.

If violations are found, investors will be punished, depending on the nature and level of violations and the volume of illegally-exploited minerals. They could also have their projects suspended or revoked.

When seeking permission for investment in national mineral reserves, they are required to assess the impact on the quantity and quality of mineral resources and propose measures in their pre-feasibility reports to protect minerals.

The State will not take responsibility for paying compensation to investors when the mineral reserve time expires, in accordance with a Prime Ministerial decision./.

Forestry to become modern economic-technological sector

With its abundance of tropical forest resources, Vietnam is aiming to become one of the world's leading centres for the production, processing and trade of forest products.

This is one of the targets of the Vietnam Forestry Development Strategy for the 2021-2031 period with a vision to 2050 which was approved by the Prime Minister.

The strategy aims to ensure the forestry sector can make an increasing contribution to socio-economic development, environmental protection, water security and the response to climate change. This means not only generating jobs and raising incomes for locals but also maintaining national defence and security and helping realise the national goals of sustainable development.

Another purpose of the strategy is to ensure equal participation among all economic sectors in forestry activities, maximising the use of social resources as well as the application of advanced science and technology in the industry.

Under the strategy, by 2050, the forestry sector will become modern, economic and technical with high competitiveness. It will bring into full play the advantage of its tropical forest resources, using modern and environmentally friendly technology to create a variety of products with high added value, and widely participate in global supply chains, contributing to the sustainable development of the country.

Forests will be managed in a sustainable way and natural resources and biodiversity conserved in the long term, according to the strategy.

Environmental security and water resources will be ensured and the negative impacts of natural disasters minimised. The sector will also fully implement Vietnam's international commitments.

To achieve the targets, the strategy includes some solutions such as reviewing and completing the forestry policy system based on the 2017 Law on Forestry and reforming mechanisms and policies to mobilise more resources for forestry development in association with sustainable poverty reduction.
 
In the strategy, Vietnam also hopes to become one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of wood products in the world.

The State will provide support and issue policies to encourage investment in the construction of at least three high-tech forestry zones to promote the development of the forestry sector in a modern way with the use of high technology./.

HCM City gets scientific with urban development

Southeast Asia’s first laboratory to research into urban development opened in HCM City last week.

City Science Lab @ HCM City will gather data to analyse, simulate and forecast urban development using modern technologies, and offer advice on urban planning to the city Department of Planning and Architecture based on this.

It has been set up by the HCM City Architectural Research Centre and the US’s world-famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Lê Hòa Bình, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, said there is growing pressure on the city to achieve urban development but the tools available for analysing and managing its planning and development fall short of its rapid growth and a several complex factors affect urban planning.

Vũ Chí Kiên, director of the new research centre, said it is adopting MIT’s CityScope platform to simulate and research urban plans under different growth scenarios and would study principles related to urban planning and management globally.

HCM City has been running various urban development programmes, including to develop into a smart city and setting up the eastern innovative urban area. 

Run for Peace comes back after one year off

The 47th Hà Nội Mới (New Ha Noi) newspaper Run for Peace has opened for registration, the organisers announced at the weekend in the capital city.

The annual race draws local and international runners, including amateurs and professionals who can register in different categories.

The event, in which athletes run around Hoàn Kiếm Lake, was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, nearly 1,500 runners took part in the competition.

Also on Saturday, nearly 2,600 people joined the Olympic Run Day in Hà Nội, an activity held every year to encourage people to improve their physique.

Earlier, many people also ran at HCM City’s Olympic Day Run on March 28.

Participants competed in the 5km route past famous sites like the Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Central Post Office. 

Quang Ngai Province to open new bridge for traffic

The central province of Quảng Ngãi will put into operation the first cable-stayed Cổ Lũy bridge after four years of construction, boosting traffic infrastructure connection between the province with neighbouring provinces of Quảng Nam and Bình Định.

The bridge will be officially opened for traffic on the country’s Reunification Day (April 30).

Deputy head of the provincial managing board of construction investment and traffic works, Lê Tới said the four-lane bridge, which was built with a total investment of VNĐ2.250 trillion (US$97.8 million), spans the Trà Khúc River to link Tịnh Khê and Nghĩa Phú communes as well as the coastal road of Dung Quất-Sa Huỳnh.

The bridge was approved technically last October, but several preparation works and entrance projects took more time for completion, Tới said.

The 3.7km bridge with 31 spans was seen as one of the key projects of the province that would help promote socio-economic development and cargo road routes between the three provinces.

It’s also the fifth bridge that spans the Trà Khúc River including Trà Khúc 1, Trà Khúc 2, Thạch Bích, bridge of the Đà Nẵng-Quảng Ngãi Express and Cổ Lũy.

The province said the bridge will add to the smooth connection from the province with the East-West Economic Corridors linking Thailand, Laos and Myanmar through the Đà Nẵng-Quảng Ngãi Expressway.

Quảng Ngãi has great potential for rapid growth with its 130km coastline and favourable road, railway, seaport and airport connections.

The four-lane cable-stayed bridge is the first of its kind in Quảng Ngãi Province. Five bridges were built connecting the two river banks of the central province. — Photo courtesy Trần Lan Anh
The central province has begun the second phase of the 109km coastal traffic route Dung Quất-Sa Huỳnh in 2018-25 after the first phase was put into operation in 2017.

Quảng Ngãi has developed a smooth road traffic system as it is just 30km from Chu Lai Open Economic Zone in Quảng Nam Province, while cars travel in one hour and 30 minutes to Đà Nẵng.

Quang Ninh eyes 550,000 visitors during April 30-May Day holiday

Home to Ha Long Bay - a recognised world natural heritage, the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh is set to welcome between 500,000 and 550,000 visitors during the upcoming National Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labour Day (May 1) holiday.  

Quang Ninh aims to cater to 10 million holidaymakers and earn 20 trillion VND (867 million USD) in revenue this year, becoming the leading choice of destination for Vietnamese and foreign tourists.

A series of cultural, sports, and tourism programmes are taking place across the locality from April 18 to May 16.

The highlight will be the Ha Long Carnival 2021 on May 1.

Among a series of ongoing and upcoming events to mark the start of the 2021 tourism season, the province is focusing on large-scale activities, such as a music night gathering top Vietnamese singers, an inauguration ceremony for Hon Gai Beach, and a fireworks display./.

Viet Nam Trail Marathon starts in Moc Chau

After being postponed due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in January, today almost 4,300 Việt Nam-based runners from 41 nations will race from 5km to 70km in the Việt Nam Trail Marathon (VTM).

Athletes will run on trails through the orchards and tea fields of Mộc Châu District, Sơn La Province. The route includes stunning trails through orchards, remote ethnic minority villages and will eventually finish at the Đồi Chè Trái Tim (Heart Shaped Tea Field).

“Our team has been up in Mộc Châu preparing all week; the area is looking magnificent with bright blue skies and the orchards in harvest mode, full of ripe plums,” says David Lloyd, director of sport at the organiser Topas.

“It will be a hotter race than that in January, so we advise runners to be prepared to run in the sun and drink plenty throughout the day. We very much look forward to welcoming thousands to beautiful Mộc Châu,” Lloyd added.

In the men’s 70km race, Vietnamese star Quang Nguyễn will be seeking his first Việt Nam Trail Series win after scoring multiple ultra podiums, but he faces two very strong runners from France: Gaetan Morizur and Valentin Orange. Morizur is one to watch as he was very close to the Việt Nam Mountain Marathon (VMM)’s 100km win in 2020, finishing shortly after the champion.

In the women’s ultra field, the VMM 100km champion Nguyễn Thị Đường will face Cung Thị Trà My (VMM 100km third place) and France's Axelle de Feraudy (VMM 42km champion). However, all these runners will need to watch a very serious new ultra runner – Hà Thị Hậu of Sa Pa. Hậu won the VMM 21km in a blistering time, beating all the men. This will be her first ultra race, so it will be interesting to see if her fierce shorter distance speed can translate to a much longer test.

A runner runs through tea fields of Mộc Châu District, Sơn La Province. — Photo courtesy of the organisers
The female 42km competition is set to be fierce, with Việt Nam Trail Series race champions  Nathalie Cochet of France (VMM 100km champion) and Nguyễn Thùy Dung (VMM 70km and VJM 70km champion) going head to head.  

In the 42km men's race, the two Vietnam Trail Series 2020 champions will go head to head. Quang Trần won the VTS Ultra Championship in 2020 after his victory at the VTM 70km and VMM 100km while his compatriot Trịnh Nam Hải was VTS Marathon Champ in 2019 and 2020.

The race is organised by Topas, organiser of the Việt Nam Trail Series which also includes the Việt Nam Mountain Marathon and Việt Nam Jungle Marathon.

Like other races by Topas, each long-distance entry includes a donation to charity. Almost US$30,134 will be divided between local projects around Mộc Châu, the work of Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, life-changing surgery for children through Operation Smile and saving lives through Newborns Việt Nam.

In other news, the Olympic Run Day and the launch of the annual Hà Nội Mới (New Hà Nội) Newspaper’s Run for Peace also take place today in Hà Nội with the participants being coaches, athletes, workers, as well as students in the capital.

Book donation programme celebrates Vietnam Book Day

The HansaeYes24 Foundation will give 9,600 copies of children’s books to primary schools in central Da Nang city under its annual book donation programme to celebrate Vietnam Book Day (April 21).

Books on various subjects like history, science, literature, culture and children’s stories are being delivered to 96 primary schools in the city this month. Bookshelves are also being given to schools for their libraries.

The programme, with a cost of nearly 300 million VND (3,000 USD), aims to foster the love of reading and raise awareness about the importance of reading for school-aged children.

As many as 40,000 copies have been given to primary schools in Ho Chi Minh City since the programme was launched by the Republic of Korea-based Hansae Co, Ltd in coordination with the municipal Department of Education and Training in 2017.

This is the first time the programme has gifted books to schools in Da Nang./. 

Staff of Level-2 Field Hospital No.2 return from South Sudan

A transport aircraft C17 of the Royal Australian Air Force on April 24 safely landed at Hanoi-based Noi Bai international airport, carrying 32 out of the 63 staff members of Level-2 Field Hospital No.2 who had finished their tenure in South Sudan.

Following their arrival, they were sent to quarantine in line with regulations.

Earlier, 31 other members of the hospital returned home in late March. They also joined with their families after finishing quarantine.

Staff members of the hospital left Hanoi in November 2019 to take the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan for a year. But due to COVID-19 pandemic, their work was nearly five months longer.

On March 24 and April 21, staff members of Field Hospital No. 3 departed for the mission from Tan Son Nhat international airport in Ho Chi Minh City./.

Cambodian leader thanks Vietnam for sympathies over COVID-19

President of the Cambodian People’s Party and Prime Minister of the country Hun Sen has expressed his gratitude to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong for the latter’s message of sympathies over the COVID-19 situation in Cambodia.

In his letter, the Cambodian leader thanked the Party, State, and people of Vietnam for their constant attention to the maintenance of the relations of friendship, solidarity and sharing between the two countries. He expressed his admiration to Vietnam’s timely and effective measures in the COVID-19 fight, and highly valued the country’s support and assistance to the international community, including Cambodia, in the work.

Hun Sen also spoke highly of the fine cooperation between the Parties, States and peoples of the two countries in the motto of fine neighbourliness, traditional friendship, and comprehensive and sustainable cooperation./.

Relief aid to Vietnamese-origin Cambodians amid lockdowns

The Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia, in collaboration with the Cho Ray- Phnom Penh hospital and the Khmer-Vietnam association in Cambodia, on April 24, presented emergency relief aid to 350 households of the Vietnamese origin in Chbar Ampov district’s Champa pagoda area.

The provision of the aid, consisting of rice, facemasks, and antiseptic solutions, came in the context that many areas in Phnom Penh are facing food shortage due to COVID-19 related lockdown..

Earlier, the group handed over 150 aid packages to Khmer families in Kbal Koh ward. Medical staff of the hospital spent parts of their salaries on purchasing 10 tonnes of rice for the 500 recipients.

Also on April 24, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Preah Sihanouk issued a press release saying Cambodians of the Vietnamese origin in the city, who are in need of rice and instant noodle, can pick them up directly at the agency’s headquarters. To those residing in the areas of high infection risks, the office will send aid packages to them if allowed by local competent agencies.

Authorities of the Preah Sihanouk province have been blocking the city for 14 days from April 23 to May 6 to curb COVID-19.

Next week, the Vietnamese Embassy, the Khmer-Vietnam association, and some philanthropists will bring aid packages to Vietnamese Cambodian and Khmer people in need in Phnom Penh’s Mean Chey district./. 

Vietnam reports one more COVID-19 case

One more imported case of COVID-19 was reported in the past 12 hours to 6pm on April 24, according to the Health Ministry.

The new patient, a 27-year-old Vietnamese, raises the national count to 2,833. He was quarantined right after his arrivals from Japan.

The number of the recoveries reached 2,516, while the death toll remained at 35.

Among the active patients, 13 have tested negative for the novel coronavirus once, 15 twice and 20 thrice.

A total of 39,191 people who had close contact with or arrived from pandemic areas are being quarantined nationwide./.

FM receives UN chief’s special envoy on Myanmar

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son received in Jakarta on April 24 Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener.

The two sides shared updates on the situation in Myanmar. Burgerner expressed her concern at the losses of human lives in the country and her hope that ASEAN will take positive steps to help settle the situation, thus bringing stability and peace to Myanmar.

FM Son took note of the efforts by the UN and Burgener herself in the matter and affirmed that Vietnam shared the deep concerns of the international community and of the UN on the unrest in Myanmar. Vietnam always closely follows the development in the country and takes an active part, together with ASEAN, in the search for the most suitable solution for Myanmar, he said.

The minister also stressed the importance of restraint, halt of violence, humanitarian support, turning to dialogue and bringing into play the central role of ASEAN in the whole process.

The only AEAN country now working as a non-permanent member of the UN Security member, Vietnam has been striving so the UN can have balanced and comprehensive discussions on Myanmar, Son affirmed. He also expressed his hope that the international community, the UN and Burgener herself will support and assist the efforts of ASEAN in general and Vietnam in particular in this issue./.

Lee Nguyễn says struggling HCM City FC are playing best football in V.League 1

HCM City FC star Lee Nguyễn reckons his team is playing well and puts their poor results down to bad luck.

Despite big spending in the offseason, City have struggled this season and most recently lost 3-2 to Nam Định at Thiên Trường Stadium.

After the first 10 matches of the V.League season, HCM City are 12th in the table on 10 points, just one point away from the relegation zone.

But despite the poor form, Vietnamese American midfielder Lee Nguyễn thinks his team are playing some silky stuff.

“HCM City has the best gameplay in the V.League," Lee said.

“Our team has played well but lack luck as my teammates and I wasted too many opportunities.

“Everything will have to be improved to help the team become stronger, more balanced and more confident. We have to keep this gameplay and move on," said the 34-year-old, adding that expectations are high for the side.

“The new players (HCM City have signed several new foreign players in recent days) will train with us and hopefully things will get better. We still have three more games left before the first phase of the league is over,” Nguyễn added.

On Tuesday, City will face defending champions Viettel at home without Nguyễn, who is suspended due to receiving a red card late in the match against Nam Định.

After returning to the V.League 1 to great fanfare, Nguyễn has struggled to find the form that made him a top Major League Soccer player and a US national team player. 

PM order strengthening COVID-19 prevention and control

The Prime Minister has issued a dispatch on strengthening COVID-19 prevention and control, amid the complicated developments of the pandemic around the world.

In the document dated April 23, he said the risk of pandemic resurgence in the country remains, especially as a result of illegal entries and failure to follow prevention and control measures.

The PM asked ministries, ministry-level and Government agencies, People’s Committees of the centrally-run cities and provinces to stay vigilant, uphold the responsibility of leaders while adopting drastic, concerted and effective measures with the principle of active prevention, early discovery, quick quarantine, effective treatment and rapid stabilisation of the situation.

They were also required to inspect the implementation of the Health Ministry’s 5K regulations, especially wearing masks in public places, crowd areas and on public transport means.

The PM also ordered the avoidance of unnecessary gatherings. In case such events are held, prevention and control measures must be guaranteed.

The Health Ministry will continue perfecting prevention and control measures on the national scale, offer instructions to ensure safety in large events, effectively follow the Government’s Resolution on the purchase and use of COVID-19 vaccines, actively access sources of vaccines worldwide and step up research and production of vaccines at home.

The ministries of national defence and public security, and the People’s Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces were assigned to continue closely controlling immigration in border areas, especially in the southwest.

Quarantine facilities must also be closely monitored to prevent cross and local infections./.

Beach football teams to duke it out in Huda tournament

A total of 112 beach football teams from seven provinces and cities of Đà Nẵng, Quảng Nam, Thừa Thiên-Huế, Quảng Trị, Hà Tĩnh and Nghệ An will compete in the qualifiers of the Beach Soccer Huda 2021 tournament from April 25 through June 6.

The event’s organiser, Carlsberg Việt Nam, said teams will play at the most pristine beaches in central Việt Nam to qualify for one of seven berths for the final round on June 13.

Teams, fans and families will also enjoy a fun beach fest with music performance, cuisines and entertainment during the qualifiers through the month with the participation of Binz, Justatee, Da Lab, Issac, Dj Minh Trí, Mia and DJ Trang Moon.

A total of VNĐ800 million (US$34,700) in prizes will be dished out during the tournament.

Organisers will announce the host of the final round after the qualifiers.

According to the Việt Nam Football Federation, the tournament will help the federation find players for young national teams in the future.

It said the annual beach football tournament attracts about 10,000 fans for a football and music fest alongside other sports activities such as beach volleyball, surfing, boat paddling and yoga practice, besides camp bonfires, food courts and shopping on the beach in the summer. 

New Vietnamese leaders receive more congratulations

Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern has sent a letter of congratulations to Nguyen Phu Trong over his re-election to General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Meanwhile, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc continued receiving congratulations from Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Governor-General of New Zealand Patsy Reddy, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev, and Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov.

President Joko Widodo also congratulated Pham Minh Chinh on his election as Vietnamese Prime Minister. Chinh also received congratulatory messages and letters from his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern, Bhutanese PM Lotay Tshering and Azerbaijani PM Ali Asadov.

Congratulations were also sent by Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives and Chairman of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin to new Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue.

The Foreign Ministers of New Zealand and Sri Lanka, Nanaia Mahuta and Dinesh Gunawardena, also extended congratulations to newly-appointed FM of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son./.

Japan helps Vietnam in oceanographic research, plastic waste settlement

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha and Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio on April 23 signed an exchange of notes on two non-projects on receiving an oceanographic research vessel and supporting equipment for investigating, surveying and analysing ocean plastic waste, funded by the Japanese Government's non-refundable aid.

The non-projects are hoped to help promote the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE)’s capacity of investigating and conducting basic surveys related to the marine environment and marine resources of Vietnam and addressing ocean waste.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Ha stressed that these are important cooperative documents demonstrating close and effective cooperation between the two Governments’ agencies in realising senior leaders’ commitments.

MoNRE pledges to efficiently operate the received oceanographic research vessel as well as equipment to address challenges related to marine environment and resources in the time to come, he added.

Ambassador Yamada said that the signing of the exchange of notes symbolises the fine friendship that the two countries have been building and maintaining over the past years.

He expressed his hope that the oceanographic research vessel will promote its capacity in basic surveys related to marine environment and resources in Vietnam, contributing to implementing the Strategy on Sustainable Development of Marine Economy until 2030 with a vision to 2045.

Meanwhile, the equipment for investigating, surveying and analysing ocean plastic waste will help raise Vietnam’s monitoring capacity, which, he said, is the most fundamental factor to make right policies to tackle the ocean waste problem./.

Human capital crucial for Việt Nam to develop renewable energy: experts

Việt Nam should pay more attention to developing skilled human resources ready for the renewable energy boom, according to experts at an event on energy transition held on Friday in Hà Nội.

Experts at the discussion session themed Energy in Transition - Powering Tomorrow agreed that to realise the target of having 100 per cent of power generated by renewable energy by 2050, Việt Nam needs the joint actions of multiple stakeholders, including the education and training sector.

“It is crucial that education institutions work together in the energy transition efforts of the nation. Technical training helps to create capable human resources for Việt Nam to realise its targets,” said Trần Phương, founder of Việt Nam Efficiency Network.

With regards to the progress Việt Nam has made in the past few years, the target to have all electricity generated from clean sources is feasible, said Tobias Cosse, Programme Director of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), noting that the country has shown great political commitments in energy transition.

It has introduced effective feed-in tariffs for solar, wind and biomass as well as made renewable energy an economically attractive field with the participation of the private sector, he added.

“Việt Nam has applied advanced technologies in renewable energy but is still reliant on foreign human resources in technical terms. It is necessary that we have a local labour force that has the technical capacity to take over jobs in this sector,” said Dr. Nguyễn Đức Tuyên, lecturer at the School of Electrical Engineering under the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST).

 A group of six universities specialising in electricity are working together to establish a renewable energy development training programme, he said.

“We want propose a teaching roadmap on the specific areas that each will be in charge of, say, vocational training schools can focus on training the workers, and some others may concentrate on training students in scientific research. This will help to serve the demand for human resources from the market,” he said.

The exhibition Energy in Transition - Powering Tomorrow is organised from April 22-27 by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Hà Nội, HUST, GIZ and Energie Wende. 

Canadian scholars praise Vietnam’s successes in COVID-19 control, economic development

Vietnam’s successes in promoting economic development and containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic were spotlighted at an online workshop held by the Canada-Vietnam Friendship Society (CVFS) on April 24.

Over 100 delegates participating in the workshop were especially interested in Vietnam's effective measures to respond to the pandemic.

Vietnam showed that even a small country can thrive strongly and maintain sovereignty, independence and national values, said Steve Rutchinski, a representative from the CVFS.

With only 35 fatalities caused by COVID-19 since the pandemic broke out in Vietnam, the Southeast Asian country has been admired by the international community, he said.

Vietnam's economy, even amid the pandemic, still expanded 2.91 percent in 2020 - one of the highest growth rates in the world, he noted.

Vietnam's democracy was reflected in the fact that people throughout the country have contributed their opinions to documents of the 13th National Party Congress, outlining a roadmap to further apply science-technology towards a brighter future for the nation, he added.

As a key speaker at the workshop, Deputy Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam Nguyen Hung Son shared 10 lessons on COVID-19 prevention and control in Vietnam, where the pandemic has been effectively curbed with only 2,833 infections confirmed so far.

Participants were extremely impressed with this number, especially in the context that Canada reported nearly 59,000 new COVID-19 cases in the last seven days, which lifted the tally in the North American country to over 1.1 million.

Margaret Villamizar, a representative from the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist), praised Vietnam's achievements in the fight against COVID-19 and maintaining economic growth, saying this is a miracle.

Canadian scholars said the Vietnamese Government has soon "suppressed" COVID-19 via measures such as quarantine, contact tracing, and communications campaigns.

Vietnamese people have shown their ability and strong spirit in the fight against COVID-19, poverty elimination, and response to climate change, to build a strong and rich nation, they said./.

Drastic measures undertaken to prevent COVID-19 from entering Vietnam: Minister

Vietnam's healthcare sector has actively and drastically directed the southwestern region to strengthen measures to prevent COVID-19 amidst the complicated developments of the pandemic in regional countries and the world, said Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the minister held that Vietnam is facing a high risk of another COVID-19 outbreak from the outside, as within the past 24 hours, India reported over 340,000 new cases, while Cambodia confirmed more than 600 cases and Laos also saw the highest-ever rise in the number of infections.

Long stressed the need for Vietnamese people to stay vigilant against the spread of the virus, while focusing on strictly implementing preventive measures with the hope of controlling the situation.

Recently, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the Health Ministry have warned of the risk of another outbreak in the country, advising people to take measures to prevent the pandemic from entering Vietnam from the outside, he said.

The minister said that a number scenarios have been built in case the pandemic occurs in localities, especially in the southwest region.

Meanwhile, five working groups led by the minister and four deputy health ministers have worked with southwestern provinces to direct pandemic preventive measures, he said.

Stressing that the most concerned risk is that new SARS-CoV-2 variants penetrate into Vietnam from Cambodia without any signs, he said that the ministry has asked the risky localities to pay special attention to the situation.

Localities in the southwestern region and those along the border with Cambodia have been guided to roll out preventive measures, especially the “5K message”, he said.

However, Long noted that controlling illegal entry into Vietnam through the sea border is a great challenge, especially in Kien Giang province where quarantine facilities in its Ha Tien city is becoming overloaded.

Therefore, a temporary hospital has been set up in Ha Tien to be ready to treat COVID-19 patients, he said.

Underlining the responsibility of local leaders in pandemic prevention and control, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat has directed Party Committees at all levels to enhance their role in the work, he noted.

Regarding the health sector's preparations for the upcoming prolonged Liberation Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) holidays, Long said that along with advising people to strictly implementing the 5K message, the ministry is speeding up COVID-19 vaccinations, while keeping a close watch on the implementation of preventive measures in each locality.

At the same time, tight control over entry activities has been carried out in border localities to prevent illegal immigrants, which requires the strong cooperation of all people, he said./.

Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian students join in cultural exchange

Hundreds of students of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia gathered at a cultural exchange programme held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 25 by the municipal Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU).

The participants took part in art performance and cultural exchange activities, a fashion show of traditional costumes, and fork games.

Friendship sports exchange events were also arranged in the framework of the programme.

Vice Chairwoman of the Association of Vietnamese Students in HCM City Ong Thi Ngoc Linh, who is also director of the dormitory of Lao students in the city, said that at present, there are more than 800 Lao and Cambodian students studying at universities in HCM City.

The programme offered a good chance for students of the three countries to learn about the traditional cultures of each country as well as the trilateral sound relations, solidarity and friendship, helping to promote the special friendship between youths of the three nations.

Phan Thi Thanh Phuong, Secretary of the HCYU of HCM City, said the programme shows the care of the municipal Party Committee, authorities and youth organisations for students of the two neighbouring countries on the occasion of the traditional New Year festivals Bunpimay of Laos and Chol Chnam Thmay of Cambodia in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks./.

Illegal immigrants arrested in northern Dien Bien province

Border guards in the northern border province of Bien Bien have arrested seven people who illegally entered Vietnam.

The illegal immigrants, including four adults and three children, were seized on early April 25 at Sin Thau commune, Muong Nhe district, while attempting to enter Vietnam.

At the A Pa Chai border post, they confessed that they are members of two families, and committed the violations in fear of undertaking COVID-19 quarantine. They were then sent to quarantine in line with regulations.

Earlier on April 24, Dien Bien authorities handed over 20 Chinese people involving in two cases of “brokering illegal entry” that were uncovered in early April.

At 15pm of April 1 in Ca Hau village, Na U commune, Dien Bien district, border guards in the Tay Trang international border gate arrested Nguyen Van Sinh, born in 1988 and residing in Pom Pot commune of Dien Bien district who was guiding two taxis carrying nine Chinese from Pom Lot commune to the border to hand over to another suspect in Na U commune of Dien Bien district before crossing the border to China for 8 million VND for each person.

On April 6, 10 Vietnamese and nine Chinese were arrested in the Vietnam-Laos border in Ca Hau village of Na U commune while trying to exit Vietnam illegally. Two more Chinese who were hiding in the border were also seized on the same day. They said that they hired Vietnamese people to drive them with motorbikes to the border of Dien Bien for nearly 9 million VND per person.

After being detained, the 20 Chinese citizens were then sent to quarantine before being handed over to Chinese authorities on April 24.

On the same day, Dien Bien authorities also received 13 Vietnamese citizens returning from China./.

Tien Giang takes measures to supply water to more households

The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang has taken measures to supply water for daily use to more households in areas affected by saltwater intrusion to ensure no one has to buy water at high prices.

For its eastern region, which includes the districts of Go Cong Dong, Go Cong Tay, and Tan Phu Dong and Go Cong Town, it has drilled seven borewells at a cost of more than 10 billion VND (434,000 USD), according to the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

It undertook 23 projects for installing pipes to carry water from pumping stations in My Tho City to areas in the east without tap water.

The eastern region now has 198 water pumping stations with a capacity of 98,640cu.m a day that supply 17,804 urban households and 118,266 rural households.

At the beginning of this dry season, which lasts between December and May, the province had finalised plans to set up 103 public water supply sites to provide free water to 6,516 families living in the east in rural and remote areas, outside sea dykes, along the coast, near estuaries, and in fields that do not get tap water and have difficulty getting water for daily use.

It has so far set up 41 of them to supply 1,400cu.m a day, and will set up the rest when the situation worsens.

It has instructed coastal districts to strengthen advocacy about storing freshwater appropriately and using it carefully.

In the islet district of Tan Phu Dong, which is severely affected by saltwater intrusion during the dry season, 1,500 of the 11,800 local households do not get tap water.

But 12 pipes with a total length of 24.2 kilometres have been laid to supply water to the three coastal communes of Phu Dong, Phu Tan and Phu Thanh this year.

The district has also set up five free public water supply sites to benefit households in Phu Tan Commune.

It has pumped water from rivers when the salinity is below 2 grammes per litre into ponds for storing it.

These have helped resolve the shortage of water, Bui Thai Son, Secretary of the district's Party Committee and Chairman of its People’s Committee, said./.

Canadian scholars praise Vietnam’s successes in COVID-19 control, economic development

Vietnam’s successes in promoting economic development and containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic were spotlighted at an online workshop held by the Canada-Vietnam Friendship Society (CVFS) on April 24.

Over 100 delegates participating in the workshop were especially interested in Vietnam's effective measures to respond to the pandemic.

Vietnam showed that even a small country can thrive strongly and maintain sovereignty, independence and national values, said Steve Rutchinski, a representative from the CVFS.

With only 35 fatalities caused by COVID-19 since the pandemic broke out in Vietnam, the Southeast Asian country has been admired by the international community, he said.

Vietnam's economy, even amid the pandemic, still expanded 2.91 percent in 2020 - one of the highest growth rates in the world, he noted.

Vietnam's democracy was reflected in the fact that people throughout the country have contributed their opinions to documents of the 13th National Party Congress, outlining a roadmap to further apply science-technology towards a brighter future for the nation, he added.

As a key speaker at the workshop, Deputy Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam Nguyen Hung Son shared 10 lessons on COVID-19 prevention and control in Vietnam, where the pandemic has been effectively curbed with only 2,833 infections confirmed so far.

Participants were extremely impressed with this number, especially in the context that Canada reported nearly 59,000 new COVID-19 cases in the last seven days, which lifted the tally in the North American country to over 1.1 million.

Margaret Villamizar, a representative from the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist), praised Vietnam's achievements in the fight against COVID-19 and maintaining economic growth, saying this is a miracle.

Canadian scholars said the Vietnamese Government has soon "suppressed" COVID-19 via measures such as quarantine, contact tracing, and communications campaigns.

Vietnamese people have shown their ability and strong spirit in the fight against COVID-19, poverty elimination, and response to climate change, to build a strong and rich nation, they said./.

Japan assists Viet Nam in oceanographic research, oceanic plastic waste management

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Trần Hồng Hà and Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Takio Yamada signed a protocol in Hà Nội earlier this week regarding two non-projects on receiving an oceanographic research vessel and supporting equipment for investigating, surveying and analysing ocean plastic waste.

Funded with the Japanese government’s non-refundable aid, the two non-projects are expected to improve the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE)’s capacity to conduct basic surveys related to the marine environment and resources of Việt Nam and address ocean waste.

A non-project is a type of official development assistance (ODA) that does not constitute a full project.

Speaking at the event, Minister Hà pledged to efficiently operate the vessel as well as provide equipment to address challenges related to the marine environment and resources.

Ambassador Yamada, for his part, said the equipment will help improve Việt Nam’s monitoring capacity, describing this as the most fundamental factor to create appropriate policies to tackle the ocean waste problem.

He expressed his hope that the oceanographic research vessel will promote its capacity in basic surveys related to marine environment and resources in Việt Nam, contributing to implementing the Strategy on Sustainable Development of Marine Economy.

Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Lê Hoài Trung, who initiated the non-projects, vowed that Việt Nam will make the best use of the equipment. 

Human capital crucial for Viet Nam to develop renewable energy: experts

Việt Nam should pay more attention to developing skilled human resources ready for the renewable energy boom, according to experts at an event on energy transition held on Friday in Hà Nội.

Experts at the discussion session themed Energy in Transition - Powering Tomorrow agreed that to realise the target of having 100 per cent of power generated by renewable energy by 2050, Việt Nam needs the joint actions of multiple stakeholders, including the education and training sector.

“It is crucial that education institutions work together in the energy transition efforts of the nation. Technical training helps to create capable human resources for Việt Nam to realise its targets,” said Trần Phương, founder of Việt Nam Efficiency Network.

With regards to the progress Việt Nam has made in the past few years, the target to have all electricity generated from clean sources is feasible, said Tobias Cosse, Programme Director of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), noting that the country has shown great political commitments in energy transition.

It has introduced effective feed-in tariffs for solar, wind and biomass as well as made renewable energy an economically attractive field with the participation of the private sector, he added.

“Việt Nam has applied advanced technologies in renewable energy but is still reliant on foreign human resources in technical terms. It is necessary that we have a local labour force that has the technical capacity to take over jobs in this sector,” said Dr. Nguyễn Đức Tuyên, lecturer at the School of Electrical Engineering under the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST).

 A group of six universities specialising in electricity are working together to establish a renewable energy development training programme, he said.

“We want propose a teaching roadmap on the specific areas that each will be in charge of, say, vocational training schools can focus on training the workers, and some others may concentrate on training students in scientific research. This will help to serve the demand for human resources from the market,” he said.

The exhibition Energy in Transition - Powering Tomorrow is organised from April 22-27 by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Hà Nội, HUST, GIZ and Energie Wende.

Health minister urges localities to be vigilant for COVID-19 amid regional outbreaks

Việt Nam's healthcare sector has directed the southwestern region to strengthen measures to prevent COVID-19 infections amid the complex developments of the pandemic in regional countries and the world, said Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long.

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the minister said Việt Nam is facing a high risk of another COVID-19 outbreak from the outside, as in the past 24 hours, India has reported more than 340,000 new cases, while Cambodia confirmed more than 600 cases and Laos also saw its highest-ever rise in the number of infections.

Long stressed the need for Vietnamese people to stay vigilant against the spread of the virus while focusing on strictly implementing preventive measures with the hope of controlling the situation.

The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the health ministry have warned of the risk of another outbreak in the country, advising people to take measures to prevent the pandemic from entering Việt Nam from the outside, he said.

The minister said that a number of scenarios have been built in case the pandemic spreads in localities, especially in the southwest region.

Meanwhile, five working groups led by the minister and four deputy health ministers have worked with southwestern provinces to direct pandemic preventive measures, he said.

Stressing that the most concerning risk is the possibility of new SARS-CoV-2 variants penetrating into Việt Nam from Cambodia undetected, he said the ministry has asked at-risk localities to pay special attention to the situation.

Localities in the southwestern region and those along the border with Cambodia have been guided to roll out preventive measures, he said.

However, Long noted that controlling illegal entry into Việt Nam through the sea border is a great challenge, especially in Kiên Giang Province where quarantine facilities in its Hà Tiên City are becoming overloaded.

Therefore, a temporary hospital has been set up in Hà Tiên to be ready to treat COVID-19 patients, he said.

Underlining the responsibility of local leaders in pandemic prevention and control, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat has directed Party Committees at all levels to enhance their role in the work, he noted.

Regarding the health sector's preparations for the upcoming Liberation Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) holidays, Long said that along with advising people to strictly implement anti-pandemic measures like mask-wearing and keeping a safe distance, the ministry is speeding up COVID-19 vaccinations, while keeping a close watch on preventive measures in each locality.

At the same time, tight control over entry activities has been carried out in border localities to prevent illegal immigration, which requires the strong co-operation of all people, he said.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia has called on Vietnamese nationals and people of Vietnamese origins in Cambodia to keep calm and implement all COVID-19 prevention and control regulations, policies and measures of local authorities amid the complex development of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia. They were also asked to not try to enter Việt Nam illegally. 

Vietnam well prepared for worst-case scenario amid coronavirus threat

The Ministry of Health and relevant agencies are developing scenarios in which a new outbreak of the novel coronavirus is likely to occur in the coming weeks, says Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long.

“The situation is very worrying both regionally and globally,” Dr Long told VOV.VN, citing the consequences of ongoing outbreaks in India, as well as in Cambodia and Laos that border Vietnam.

India recorded more than 340,000 new infections during the past 24 hours, while Cambodia confirmed over 600 cases at the same time.

“We must remain highly vigilant and well prepared for the worst-case scenario,” said Long.

According to the minister, an increasing number of people seeking to cross the border into Vietnam is posing an imminent threat of a new coronavirus outbreak in Vietnam.

The southwestern region is currently a hotspot for a possible coronavirus outbreak in the community, said minister Long.

Over the past few days relevant agencies have detained dozens of Vietnamese nationals attempting to cross the southwestern border into Vietnam illegally, with some of them carrying the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The latest case was a 23-year-old man who crossed the border from Cambodia into An Giang together with two friends on April 20. He was then diagnosed with the virus while the other two tested negative.

“The most important thing is to prevent acts of illegal entry,” said Dr Long, pointing to the fact that it is a challenging task as Vietnam has long coastal and land borders with neighbouring countries.  

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long has made a fact-finding tour of quarantine facilities in Ha Tien City of Kien Giang province.

He therefore called on local people to persuade their relatives residing in neighbouring countries to return to the homeland legally in an effort to nip in a bud a possible new outbreak of the virus in the community.

“The Ministry of Health and relevant agencies are working on scenarios, including the worst-case scenario,” he unveiled.  

The minister also warned about a significant threat of another coronavirus outbreak in the community as many people pay no heed to COVID-19 rules.

“The fact is that Vietnam has controlled the epidemic in the community, and there is a complacent attitude in the public,” said Long.

Given the current context, the minister advised people to strictly abide by the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 recommendations, including donning face masks and avoiding large gatherings in public places.

Khanh Hoa FC and Phu Dong FC book last berths in Cup’s Round of 16

The last two matches of the National Cup qualifying phase took place on April 25, with Khanh Hoa FC and Phu Dong FC having seen off their opponents to advance into the Round of 16.

At Nha Trang Stadium, Khanh Hoa FC demonstrated their great confidence and experience by proactively deploying attacks and putting constant pressure on the guests right from the opening whistle.

However, Phu Tho FC resisted bravely, forcing the hosts to wait until the last minute of the first half to get off the mark. Minh Khai powered in a close-range shot from a free-kick cross to open the scoring.

After the break, Khanh Hoa FC played with great comfort and slowed their pace to find ways through Phu Tho’s defence. In the 72nd minute Thanh Nhan punished a Phu Tho mistake, bursting down to steal the ball and shooting past the goalkeeper to seal a 2-0 win for the home side.

Earlier that day, at Thanh Tri Stadium (Hanoi), Phu Dong FC produced a better start against Hue FC, but could not break through the guests’ defence during the first half.

It was not until the 63rd minute that young midfielder Mach Ngoc Ha scored the solitary goal of the match to help Phu Dong FC continue with their National Cup campaign this season.

Concluding the qualifying phase, five of the nine V.League 1 teams were knocked out of the National Cup, while seven First Division clubs have advanced. This is a big surprise and is far from the predictions before the tournament. Even V.League 1 powerhouses such as Hoang Anh Gia Lai and SHB Da Nang were forced to fight hard to see off lower-rated rivals. Such a fact shows the progress of the First Division representatives and the narrow level difference between teams in this year’s season.

The National Cup’s Round of 16 is scheduled to take place in July.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes